Search and rescue teams are looking for two Americans and a Canadian who disappeared while attempting to scale Aoraki Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand.
Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the United States, along with a Canadian national who is not yet being named until his family can be notified, were reported missing when they failed to show up for their flight on Monday morning. The three men had been flown to a hut partway up the 12,218-foot mountain on Saturday with plans to reach the summit.
"A search was initiated yesterday involving the Department of Conservation (DoC) Search and Rescue Team, The Helicopter Line, and [local] police," inspector Vicki Walker, Aoraki Area Commander, said in a statement. "During the search, several-climbing related items were located, which are believed to belong to the three men."
Unfortunately, due to hazardous weather conditions on the mountain, the search was not able to resume on Wednesday. "Weather conditions are likely to prevent any further search activity until Thursday this week, however police will continue to monitor and assess the conditions," the statement continued.
Both Blair and Romero are listed as certified alpine guides on the American Mountain Guides Association website. Authorities have been working with U.S. and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three missing.
Aoraki Mount Cook is a popular tourist destination that sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of South Island; the largest of New Zealand's three major islands. Per Australia's ABC News, the peak is popular among experienced climbers but can be risky due to factors such as crevasses, avalanche, unpredictable weather, and glacier movement. Since the start of the 20th century, over 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park.
